Michael Murphy (VC)
Michael Murphy | |
|---|---|
| File:Michael Murphy.jpg with permission from Royal Logistic Corps Museum | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Army |
| Years of service | 27 August 1855 – 1 February 1875 |
| Rank | Farrier-Major |
| Unit | Military Train |
| Battles/wars | Indian Mutiny |
| Awards | Victoria Cross (forfeited and re-listed) |
Michael Murphy VC (September 5 1831 Cahir, County Tipperary Ireland [1] – April 4 1893 Darlington, County Durham, England [2]) was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Murphy was born to John Murphy and Hanora Sheehan, and had at least one sibling, a younger sister named Mary. Little is known about his early life until 1854, when he married Mary Anne Walsh in Cahir.
Army career
Early career
On August 27 1855, Murphy enlisted in the 17th Lancers at Cork. The 17th Lancers, however, were still at the Crimean War, having lost most of their complement in the Charge of the Light Brigade in the previous year. As a result, Murphy started his training with the 16th Lancers at the Portobello Barracks, Dublin.
On May 22 1856, Murphy attached to the 17th Lancers, who were now en route from the Crimea to Ismid in India, presumably with the intention of finally joining up with them in India. Something must have affected this plan, since on October 18 1856, he joined the 2nd Battalion Military Train (later the Royal Army Service Corps and nowadays the Royal Logistics Corps) instead. In March 1857, Murphy left the Curragh Camp and boarded the steamer Calypso at Dublin bound for Woolwich. On April 28, he embarked for Hong Kong. On reaching Indonesia, the battalion was diverted to Calcutta on news of the Indian Mutiny. They arrived in Calcutta on August 27, and after a series of moves were deployed to relieve Lucknow. The battalion was subsumed into the Azimghur Field Force on March 29 1858.
Victoria Cross
On April 15 1858, Murphy was in position at Nathupur, near Azimgurh. During the fighting, Murphy and Samuel Morley were severely wounded while defending an injured comrade, a Lieutenant Hamilton, adjutant of the 3rd Sikh Cavalry. Hamilton died from his injuries the next evening, but for his actions Murphy was awarded the Victoria Cross. [3] Queen Victoria presented Michael Murphy with his Victoria Cross at the Quadrangle, Windsor Castle on January 4 1860. Recognition for Morley did not come until later.
After his injuries at Nathupur, Murphy was invalided to Calcutta and returned to the United Kingdom and the Invalid Depot, Great Yarmouth. On May 14 1859, Murphy resumed his duties at the Depot, at Aldershot and returned to the 2nd Battalion on October 1 1859. In 1860, his wife joined him at Aldershot, and Murphy was soon promoted to Farrier Sergeant. In January 1862, Murphy was attached to the 1st Battalion and served 5 months in Canada, returning on June 14 1862 to Woolwich and then onto Aldershot [4]. On March 21 1865, Murphy transferred to the 6th Battalion and moved to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. On September 6 of the following year, Murphy rejoined the Military Train at the Curragh in Ireland. By 1868, he was back at Woolwich with his wife and two children. By the time the Military Train became the Army Service Corps in 1869, Murphy had achieved the rank of Farrier-Major and was stationed in Aldershot [5]. On July 1 1871, Murphy transferred from the Army Service Corps to the 7th Hussars.
Forfeiture
On January 26 1872, a civilian, James Green, was stopped by Farrier-Major Knott at Aldershot with a wagon containing sacks of oats and hay. Green stated that Murphy had given him permission to remove these goods. Murphy and Green were then arrested for the theft of these goods. At the trial at Winchester, Green was acquitted and released, but Murphy was convicted and sentenced to nine months' hard labour at the House of Correction for the county of Hampshire. On March 5, an order was issued for the forfeit of Murphy's VC. Murphy was one of only eight men who forfeited their Victoria Crosses. Although Murphy had worn his Victoria Cross every day during his trial, the medal could not be found after the forfeiture order. His wife Mary Anne and their child had disappeared from their Army establishment accommodation. After Murphy was released from prison on November 30 1872, he returned to his regiment at Hounslow. His wife and children returned to Army establishment in December 1873.
The medal would re-appear later.
Later career and discharge
During 1873, Murphy's battalion moved to Wimbledon and then Maidstone. Murphy was in hospital and did not move with his battalion when it moved to Norwich in June 1874. On December 7 1874, Murphy was transferred to the 9th Lancers. In January 1875, the 9th Lancers were sent to Bombay, but Murphy reattached to the 5th Lancers returning from India.
On February 1 1875, Murphy was discharged from the Army at Colchester.
Post-military life and death
by courtesy of
www.victoriacross.org.uk
Immediately following on from his army discharge, Murphy took up residence in Bellingham, Northumberland. From Bellingham, he had moved by early 1876 to Scotswood, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland [6], then by mid-1878 to Murton, County Durham [7], and, by 1881, Heworth [8].
During the 1880s, Murphy's family appear to have died or left home. By 1891, Murphy had moved on his own to a cottage in Blackwell, outside Darlington [9] (owned by Sir Henry Havelock-Allan, another Victoria Cross recipient). Murphy later relocated to Darlington to work as a labourer in an Ironworks.
Murphy died of pneumonia at 22 Vulcan Street, Darlington on April 4 1893 [2]. He was buried in the North Road Municipal Cemetery, Darlington. A gravestone was erected by Sir Henry and comrades from the India campaign. His sole heir was Bridget Mary Anne Dobson, a niece, who was residing with him at the end. Murphy's epitaph records that three of his sons were killed in action and the fourth was serving abroad at the time of his death.
Five years after Murphy's death, in June 1898, Murphy's Victoria Cross medal eventually resurfaced when it was bought at auction by Master Sergeant Masterman on behalf of the Royal Army Service Corps, at Aldershot. This medal was presented to the RASC, which has since been subsumed into the Royal Logistic Corps, based at the Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut, Surrey. Murphy's actual medal can be viewed, but only by prior arrangement with the Royal Logistic Corps Museum. It is not known where the medal was kept between March 1872 and June 1898, nor who held possession.
27 years after Murphy's death, in July 1920, the rules for the Victoria Cross award were changed to exclude forfeiture. The previous eight forfeits - including that of Murphy - were then re-listed in the Victoria Cross register.
Family
Murphy married twice:
Firstly to Mary Walsh at Cahir, County Tipperary, on February 26 1854. They had one son, Michael, probably born in Cork in 1855, and possibly two further sons: Thomas and John. He was separated from Walsh or was widowered, before 1864.
Secondly, Murphy remarried, probably in Ireland, by 1863 to Mary Fox (b. 1845 Ireland). They had at least three children:
- Edward John Murphy (b. 10 Jan 1864 Aldershot Camp) [4] [5] [8]
- George Frederick W. Murphy (b. 15 Dec 1875 Scotswood) [6] [8]
- Mary Ann Murphy (b. 15 May 1878 Murton Colliery) [7] [8]
Murphy's epitaph alleged that 3 of his sons died in the army. The army records suggest that these may have been:
- A colour-sergeant of the 24th Foot who was killed at Isandula (or the Battle of Isandlwana) on January 22 1879
- A sergeant of artillery who was killed at Tel-el-Kebir in 1882
- A corporal of the Durham Light Infantry who died on the Nile in 1885
Despite Murphy's epitaph, however, the exact identity and fate of all his children are not known; nor is the connection to his niece Bridget Dobson. As of 2008, his closest known surviving relatives are the descendants of his sister, Mary.
Miscellany
The 150th anniversary of Murphy's VC will occur during April 2008, and will be commemorated at Darlington.
References / Notes
- ^ Army records indicate a date of birth of about 1831-1832; the parish records indicate a birth / baptism of September 5 1831 and his marriage in 1854. However, in later life, Michael Murphy under-reported his age, e.g. 40 in the 1881 census; 53 at his death in 1893, indicating a date of birth of 1840.
- ^ a b GRO Register of Deaths: JUN 1893 10a 1 DARLINGTON - 22 Vulcan Street, Darlington - Michael Murphy, labourer in ironworks, aged 53 (61?), registered by Bridget Dobson, niece, aged 24, present at death
- ^ Announced in the London Gazette on May 27 1859.
- ^ a b GRO Register of Births: MAR 1864 2a 77 FARNHAM - Edward John Murphy, son of Michael Murphy and Mary nee Fox - born at Aldershot Camp
- ^ a b 1871 UK Census - Staff Sergeant, Army Service Corps, aged 40, of Aldershot Barracks - RG10/819 f.118 p.5, with wife Mary aged 30 born Ireland, and son Edward aged 7 born Aldershot
- ^ a b GRO Register of Births: MAR 1876 10b 17 NEWCASTLE T. - George Murphy, son of Michael Murphy and Mary nee Fox - born Scotswood, Northumberland
- ^ a b GRO Register of Births: SEP 1878 10a 429 EASINGTON - Mary Ann Murphy, dau of Michael Murphy and Mary nee Fox - born Murton Colliery, County Durham
- ^ a b c d 1881 UK Census - Horsekeeper, aged 40 (50?), of 8 Double Row West, Heworth, County Durham - RG11/5030 f.47 p.33, with wife Mary, aged 36 born Ireland, son Edward, aged 17 born Aldershot, son George, aged 5 born Scotswood, dau Mary Ann, aged 3 born Murton
- ^ 1891 UK Census - Blacksmith, aged 51 (60?), of Blackwell, Darlington, County Durham - RG12/2043 f.61 p.14
Army records
- courtesy of Lieutenant-Colonel (Retd) D J Owen MBE, Regimental Treasurer, The Royal Logistic Corps
Bibliography
Listed in order of publication year
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
- The Irish Sword (Brian Clarke 1986)
- Irelands VCs (ISBN 1-899243-00-3 Dept of Economic Development 1995)
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)